'Longitude' clock stuns experts by keeping accurate to a second for 100 days - 300 years after it was designed
- Martin Burgess Clock B is based on John Harrison's 18th century design
- Clock was strapped to a pillar at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich
- Time measured using a radio-controlled clock and the BT speaking clock
- Certified by Guinness Book of Records, National Maritime Museum said
A clock based on a design from 300 years ago has stunned experts by keeping accurate to a second for 100 days.
The modern-day Martin Burgess Clock B is based on John Harrison's 18th century clock, which he thought up to solve the problem of determining longitude at sea.
It has been part of a 100-day trial at the Royal Observatory, in Greenwich, to see if the claim - that the clock would neither lose nor gain more than a second in 100 days - was true.
The Martin Burgess Clock B (left), which is based on a design by carpenter John Harrison (right) from 300 years ago, has stunned experts by keeping accurate to a second for 100 days
The clock, which was built using modern materials, was initially set ticking a year ago after being strapped to one of the Observatory's supporting pillars.
But it quickly became apparent the trial would be a success and wax seals were placed on its case so its accuracy could be verified, the Independent on Sunday reported.
The time was measured using a radio-controlled clock, which received the national time signal, and the BT speaking clock.
Jonathan Betts, a member of the Antiquarian Horological Society, said: 'As soon as we set the clock running it was clear that it was performing incredibly well, so then we got the case sealed because nobody was going to believe how well the clock was running.'
He added that the clock was not a replica of Harrison's, but used his design and concept.
'It is important to realise his design goes against everything the establishment has claimed is the best throughout history,' Mr Betts added.
The modern-day clock has since been certified by the Guinness World Records, which the National Maritime Museum confirmed on Twitter
The Martin Burgess B clock has been part of a 100-day trial at the Royal Observatory (above), in Greenwich, to see if the claim - that the clock would neither lose nor gain more than a second in 100 days - was true
The clock has since been certified by the Guinness World Records. When it was measured it was reading UTC time to within a quarter of a second.
The National Maritime Museum confirmed the record on Twitter yesterday.
It wrote: 'Our 100 day trail of "Clock B" won @GWR for "most accurate mechanical clock with a pendulum swinging in free air"!'
Rory McEvoy, the Observatory’s curator of horology, added: ‘What we’ve seen here is something approaching a perfect clock, but we are not there yet.’
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